Ankle brace



Apri112,1927. 1,624,268

M. LUDE'R ANKLE BRACE Filed Sept. 21. 1925 Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

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ANKLE BRAC Application filed September 21, 1925. Serial No. 57,738;

This. invention relates to, an improved forni of ankle brace and has as its general object to provide an anltle brace which will afford relief to those who sutfer with swollen and painful ankles as result of continuous standing, walking, dancing, or any other podal cxertion.

More specifically, the invention has as its object to provide a biraee ocsigned especially to be worn while resting or sleeping and which will'relieve the swelling and pain incident to over-exertion of the inuscles of the. foot and ankle, so as to restore the inuscles to their normal condition.

Another object ofthe inYention is to pro- Yi'tle an ankle brace whichmay be Worn with extreme comfort and no inconvenience and which will reduce the swel-ling in the anlle joint and reliei'e the strain which has been iinposed thereon.

Another object of the inventionl is to, so construct the brace that when applied, it will not be liable to become displaced but will niaintain. such a position upon theV ankle as to support and hold thelsainein its natural position and, therefore, influence the lnuscles to assunie such position and niaintain the same whilestanding, walking, dancing, or otherwise exercising thev feet Vand liinbs, w

uother object of the inif'ention is to. proride an ankle brace which may be readily and conreniently adjustedtosnugly einbrace the aukle without causing` disconrfort to the weai'er and in a inanner to properly conform to the act-ual Shape of the anklc,

Another object of the inx'ention is. to so construct the brace that, while made of l'iexible material, it will not be, subject to puckeriug while and after being .adjusted or fitted to the ankle. i

In the accoinpanying drawings:

l `igure l is a perspective View illustrating the ankle brace einbodying the invention applied.

Figure 2 is View illustrating the anlle brace spread out,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View through the brace, taken substantially on the'line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure '-l is a similar View taken substantially on the line lT- of figure 1.

The brace einbodying the invention may be made from any. suitablefleYible material such as leather or a washable fbric and the same comprses a body portionindicatefd in general: by the numeral 1, which is adapted to eiubrace the ankle, the body of the brace including a back portion 2 and side portions 3' and-v. "lhesaid body of the brace preferahlfy has aV substautially straight upper marginl 5 which inay be suitably bound, as illfustratod in the drawings, and the back portion. 2 is vvertical-ly divided; throughout a portion of its height at its upper part :india gusset 6 is inserted at this point and stitched` as at 7, to the opposite sides of the incision, therveby providing a desirable fullness to adapt the Vbrace to lit about the leg inimediately' above the ankle, and this gusset may be of the sanie material as the body ofl the brace or, ifA found expedient, it might be made of: some other material and might even be elastic. A substan'tially circular opening 8 is provided in the lower portion of the body of the brace to accoinmodate the heel, as clearly shown in Figure v .of the drawings, and a binding 9- is preferably provided' about the lnargin of the material defining this opening' The lower niargin of the body, indicated by the nuineral 10, is extended on a curyed line, and by reference to Figure l of the drawings, it will be observed that the portion of the brace between the opening 8 and the lnargin lO is narrower at its said portionfso as to comfortably engage against'the under side of the heel, and that this portion is of gradually increasing width where it inerges with the side portions of the brace. lt will liltewise be observed by reference to Figure 1, that the gradually .widening sides of the heel or instep elnbracing. poi'tion, 'which is indicated vby the numeral 11, snugly fit against the opposite Isides of theiheel and confornl to the Shape thereof.

t is preferable that the body of the brace be made froin two pieces of material united along. a straight line, by stitching, as indicated by the nunieral 12, at one side of the heel or instep einbracing portion 11, and along cuiwed line, as indica-ted by the nulneral 13, lil'zewise by a stitched seam which extends from the opening 3 at one side thereof tofthe upper margin of the' body of the brace atthe corresponding side. tThe pro- Vison Of this seani 13 Tand the seain 12 adapts the body to be made of a Shape to conforin snugly to the Contour ofthe ankle and lower portion of the leg, as wiliiibe obseiwed by reference to `Figiu'ei 1, and'it fill be eydent at this point, 'that shouldz it.

be desired to do so, the seam 18 may be opened and more or less of the material at either o1- both sides thereof cut away and the material again Stitched to restore the Seain, in adapting the brace to fit ankles of different contours and Sizes, it being desirable that the brace Snugly embrace the ankle and, conform closely to the contour thereof. Furthermore, by providing the searn 18 and the seam 12,' which seams diverge toward the front of the brace, the lower portion of the body of the brace may be'made to assnme a concave form and be thus adapted to conform to the heel of the foot as well as to the ankle. It Will be observed by reference to Figure 1, that when the brace is, applied, the heel of the foot will seat in the opening` 8 and the instep embracing portion 11 will it snugly beneath the instep and the forward portion of the heel and against the Sides of the instep and the heel. It will also be evident that the seam 13 will extend upwardly beside the ankle and the lower portion of the leg.

In order that the body of the brace may be snugly adjusted and held about the anlrle, straps 14 and 15 are provided at the side portions 3 of the body and extend laterally therefroin and are tapered in the direction of their outer ends, and these straps carry, at -their extremities, buclrles indicated respect-iv'ely by-the numerals 16 and 17. The Straps 14 and 15 are relatively broad where they join the Side portion 8 of the body and the Strap 14 is located at the top of the said portion 3 and the upper edge of the said Strap constitutes a continuation of the upper margin of the body of the brace and eXtends on a downwardly inclined line, as shown clearly in Figure 2. The straps 14 and 15 are relatively spaced and the lowermargin of the strap 15, which i margin is indioated by the numeral 18, constitutes a continuation of the front margin of the body of the brace, likewise as shown 111 Flgure 2. Relatively narrow Straps 19, 20, 21 and 22 are provided at the side portion 4 of theibody and extend laterally therefrom, and are arranged one below another in the order mentioned, the straps 19, 21 and 22 being of Substantially the same length and the Strap 20 being somewhat longer than the other straps. The buokles 16 and 17, as well as other buelrles to be presently deecribed, are of the type embodying a bail, one side of which is provided with a series of sharp prongs, and in order to prolong` the life of the straps 19, 20, 21 and 22, the inner sides of the straps are preferably faced by pieees of flexible material such, for example, as cloth, indicated by the numeral 28.

The yside portion 4 of the body of the brace is formed with relatively narrow triangular openings' 24 and 25, the opening 24 neaazee being located substantially opposite and midway between the inner ends of the Straps 19 and 20 and, therefore, relatively close to the upper margin of the said side portion of the brace, and the opening 25 being located opposite the inner ends of the straps 21 and 22 and nearer the middle line of the back of the body of the brace than the opening 24. A short strap 26 is secured by stitching or otherwise, to the side portion 4 of the body of the brace at the inner side theref and eXtendS through the opening 24 and carries a buclrle indicated by the numeral 27. A relatively short Strap 28 is united to the side of the body of the brace Substantially at the seam 12 and carries a buckle indicated by the numeral 29. It will be observed, by reference to Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings, th'at the buckle 27 is located at the. exterior of the body of the brace, the Strap 26 which supports the buckle, extending through the opening 24.

In applying the brace, the Same is arranged about the anlrle Substantially in the manner shown in Figure 1, and the Strap 14 is engaged through the opening 24 and brought about the lower portion of the leg at the outer side of the body of the brace, and the Strap 19 is similarly arranged and is engaged through the buckle 16 and adjusted to adapt this portion of the brace to Snugly fit about the said lower portion of the leg. In a Similar manner, the Strap is engaged through the opening 25 and the Strap 21 is engaged through the buckle 17, these Straps extending exteriorly about the body of the brace at the upper portion of the anlzle. The Strap is passed around the outer side of the body of the brace between the straps 14 and 15 and the straps 19 and 21, and is adjustably engaged with the buckle 27 as shown in Figure 4, this strap substantially extending entirely about the upper portion of the ankle. The Strap 22 is arranged over the arch of the foot and is adjustably engaged with the buckle 29, and. all of the strapS are snugly arranged and adjusted through the respective buckles so as to adapt the body of the brace to snugly fit about the anlrle and lower portion of the leg and lilewise aboutthe instep and arch. By forming the openings 24 and triangular,'puckering of the adja-Cent portion of the brace iS obviated and the body of the brace is thus enabled to more snugly fit the foot at these portions than would be the case if the openings were straight or merely in the form of slits From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be evident that the brace may be conveniently adjusted to the ankle and that the straps may be individually adjuSted eo that, as a whole, the brace will snugly embrace the ankle and other adjacent portions of the foot referred to.

llO

Hm'ing thus described the invention, what I claiin is:

An ankle brace comprising a tiexibie body including an upper a'nkie einbracing portion and a lower foot einbracing portion, the upper portion consisting of a back and sides, one of the sides being integral With the back and having a top and two lower short strapel and an intermediate long Strap, the back having narrow openings opposte the short straps adjacent the long Strap, and the other side being stitched to the back by a iongitndinally cnrved seem and having two long straps to pass through the said narrow openings and receive the short straps in line with said openings to which they are adapted to be buckled, and the lower foot embracing portion forining a part of the back and an extension of the integral side and st-itched to the lower end of the stitched on side by a straight seem, the lowermost short Strap being adapted to eXtend over the instep and be bnckied to the outer forward corner of the lower foot embracing portion adjacent the straight side seem.

In testimony Whereof I affix my signature.

MAUDE LUDER. [L 8.] 

